Latest news with #agility
Forbes
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Applying Integrated Business Planning To Navigate Policy Shifts
Tom Strohl is the President of Oliver Wight America's, a global business consulting firm specializing in Integrated Business Planning. While tariffs continue to dominate headlines, they represent a fraction of the policy changes impacting businesses. In the first 100 days of the current administration, over 140 executive actions have introduced regulatory changes across energy, environmental and labor sectors. Businesses are being challenged to respond with greater agility and foresight. The challenge is not necessarily in the policy changes themselves but in how businesses respond. A siloed approach, where compliance, tax planning and workforce management operate independently, is no longer sustainable. In today's environment, when tax departments make decisions without visibility into supply chain constraints, or operations leaders reconfigure production without accounting for workforce shortages, businesses could expose themselves to unnecessary risk and missed opportunity. This environment of rapid change calls for integrated business planning (IBP), a strategic framework that connects portfolio management, demand planning and supply operations to provide a single, consistent source of truth. Agile scenario planning can help guide companies as they make decisions now and for the future. Policy Changes And Industry Resets Deregulation can force sectors to pivot. The automotive industry is one sector being disrupted right now. Under the Biden administration, electric vehicle (EV) targets and emissions regulations accelerated the shift toward electric vehicles, with a federal goal of 50% of new vehicles being battery powered by 2030. Now, the Trump administration has reversed this regulatory architecture, rolling back emissions standards and ending various incentives. For automotive companies, this demands a comprehensive strategic restructuring. Supply chains and manufacturing plants designed for battery production, capital investments in EV infrastructure like charging stations and marketing strategies targeting incentive-driven consumers may need to be reconsidered. This reset can cascade across OEMs, suppliers, logistics partners and retail channels. Across industries—from energy to finance to pharmaceuticals—deregulation can introduce both flexibility and uncertainty. The common thread is the need for planning that aligns long-term investment and operational execution with a shifting policy foundation. Tax Incentives And Operational Costs Trump has proposed reducing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 15%, specifically for companies that manufacture domestically in the U.S. This could create a complex matrix of incentives and trade-offs for companies considering reshoring. To qualify, companies may need to reconfigure supply chains, invest in U.S.-based facilities and ensure access to skilled labor—all of which carry investments in time, labor and infrastructure. Additionally, navigating regulatory compliance across multiple states adds further complexity. These factors could turn what appears to be a straightforward tax advantage into a multifaceted strategic decision. The expiration of key provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) at the end of 2025 could also reshape both business and individual tax landscapes. If these expire without replacement or reform, business taxes could effectively increase, impacting cash flow, investment strategies and long-term planning. Companies must factor this uncertainty into their short-term planning cycles. Tax strategy should be integrated with operational planning to ensure that tax-advantaged decisions don't create unintended consequences in production, distribution or workforce strategy. Talent Gaps As companies respond to incentives for domestic manufacturing, they're increasingly faced with constraints presented by labor and skills shortages. The manufacturing industry faces specific challenges with approximately 3.8 million new workers needed between 2024 and 2033, with half of these positions remaining unfilled due to skills gaps. On top of that, labor costs in the U.S. remain higher than in many offshore manufacturing hubs. For companies that have long capitalized on low-cost labor abroad, reshoring upsends the financial logic that once justified offshoring. Domestic operations not only face persistent hiring challenges, but must absorb higher wages, elevated living costs and stricter labor regulations. All of these factors could erode the financial advantages of tax incentives, unless balanced by more strategic, long-term workforce planning. To navigate this, I recommend companies adopt a more integrated approach: one that embeds workforce planning into core business strategy. This includes investing in upskilling, optimizing recruitment pipelines and aligning talent strategies with operational needs. The Challenges Of Integrated Business Planning In an environment defined by uncertainty, integrated business planning can help provide the structure and foresight businesses need to adapt. When companies unify critical functions across portfolio, demand and supply, they can gain a comprehensive view of the organization. However, companies may face several common challenges when initiating integrated business planning. A primary struggle for many organizations is deploying their long-term business strategy and achieving sustainable growth. This often manifests as a failure to operationalize corporate strategy or to effectively cascade it throughout the organization to connect with business unit plans. Additionally, companies may encounter difficulties in transforming their inventory management into a strategic advantage. Beyond specific processes, a broader challenge is achieving tangible results and truly transforming organizational performance, rather than just implementing better processes. There can also be difficulties in ensuring that people, business processes and technology are fully aligned and integrated across the organization, and in fostering a sustainable culture of continuous improvement and innovation where people are empowered to drive change. The Path Forward With IBP Leadership teams should hold regular monthly and quarterly planning cycles to conduct 'what-if' scenario planning analysis, anticipate regulatory or tax changes and reallocate resources proactively. Additionally, companies must make sure their data is trustworthy—historical trends, current metrics, financial modeling and team insights all play a role in anticipating change. To support strategic thinking, appoint a dedicated scenario management leader. From there, clearly defining roles and responsibilities ensures that key stakeholders can respond effectively. Alignment across the team strengthens organizational readiness for whatever the future may bring. Crucially, leaders should aim to surface blind spots that siloed decision making often misses. Whether identifying looming talent shortfalls that could derail production, or revealing how tax-driven plant relocations could disrupt supply chain efficiency, leaders can use IBP to enable smarter, more connected decisions. As policy volatility becomes the new normal, companies that adopt a holistic, integrated approach to planning could have a decisive advantage. I think the next generation of business leaders will be defined not by their size, but by their ability to adapt policy shifts into strategic advantage. The information provided here is not investment, tax, or financial advice. You should consult with a licensed professional for advice concerning your specific situation. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Teen puts Crufts dreams on hold after beloved pooch Benji diagnosed with cancer
A Bishop Auckland teen has put her Crufts dreams on hold after her beloved pooch Benji was diagnosed with cancer. Aimee Carville was left devastated when a lump she found on her beloved four-year-old cockapoo on Christmas Day turned out to be a mast cell cancerous tumor. The 17-year-old's family now face £11,500 vet bills for Benji's treatment, which could be even more if the cancer has spread to other parts of his body. While some of the costs will be covered by insurance, not all of it will; so Aimee and her family are hoping to give Benji 'many more years' by launching a fundraising drive. Aimee Carville and Benji (Image: CONTRIBUTOR) The teen, who is currently studying for A levels at St John's School and Sixth Form College in Bishop Auckland, said: 'At Christmas we noticed a lump and swelling on his arm. 'That was actually on Christmas Day. As soon as we could we took him to the vets. 'They said it looks like it is probably a muscle injury, as he does agility. We got some medication and it was all ok. It went down and we didn't think anything of it. Benji is an award winner (Image: CONTRIBUTOR) 'He was fine for about a month, but then it came back and my mam was concerned.' Junior agility handler Aimee said she initially thought 'happy and playful' Benji, who is a younger brother to golden cockapoo Teddy, seven, had injured himself when he first started agility training last year. Benji and Teddy (Image: CONTRIBUTOR) But sadly, the family got the news two weeks ago that Benji was suffering a cancerous tumor which had spread to his lymph nodes. 'It was awful', she said. 'We think it is a lower grade but he has had it since Christmas. 'He has had an ultrasound on his leg but he hasn't had a CT scan, so we are unsure whether he has cancer anywhere else in his body.' The family are already facing costs of up to £11,500 - but treatment could cost even more and Benji will also need to undergo chemotherapy after, which could last about 12 weeks. Aimee, who is currently in Year 12 studying Biology, Geography, and English Literature and Language, said she and Benji had made 'so much progress' in dog agility in the last year. The award-winning pooch was doing so well they were hoping to qualify for Crufts in 2026 or 2027, something that is now up in the air. Aimee Carville and Benji (Image: CONTRIBUTOR) 'He is like my best friend, he is not just a pet', she said. 'He's a happy little playful boy and he is still his happy little self. 'He did his last competition over the weekend and got first place, fifth place, and seventh place!' Aimee Carville and Benji (Image: CONTRIBUTOR) Read more: Fly-tips cost Darlington Council more than £800k to clean up in last five years 'Amazing' Durham café announces sudden closure over 'burden' rising costs Popular toy retailer poised to open first Darlington store in former Next building But despite the awful news, Aimee, who also works at Marks and Spencer, still managed an A in her Biology mock exam. She explained: 'On the night I was trying to revise and nothing was going in because I was just sitting and crying.' You can donate to Aimee's fundraiser here:
Forbes
02-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Workplace Agility Is Vital During Disruption—So What Is It, Exactly?
Elaine Pulakos, Ph.D., is CEO of PDRI by Pearson, and an internationally recognized contributor to the field of I/O psychology. The workplace has undergone an extraordinary transformation in just the last four years. Pandemic-driven economic shocks threw entire industries into chaos, and remote work shifted from a rare exception to an expectation. Then generative AI took the world by storm, reshaping workflows and powering new, previously unthinkable capabilities. Now, political and economic changes at the global scale have led to sudden shifts that are disrupting individuals and organizations. But even before the pandemic touched off this current period of upheaval, businesses' technical skill requirements were already rapidly evolving. A 2021 Gartner study revealed that one-third of the technical skills listed in job postings for sales, finance and IT roles in 2017 had become obsolete by 2021. This trend has likely accelerated, creating a fundamental challenge: How can professionals remain valuable when technical competencies have increasingly shorter shelf lives? In this environment, employees need more than traditional skills to succeed. They need agility. In particular, they need a constellation of six specific power skills that enable them to thrive and perform effectively amid disruption, volatility and dramatic change. What Are Power Skills? Commonly referred to as soft skills, power skills are employees' durable, often innate capabilities that form the foundation for performing effectively across different roles and situations. They include skills like empathy, initiative, attention to detail and critical thinking. I prefer the term "power skills" because it emphasizes how important they are to employees' success. As disruptive change has increasingly characterized work settings, many of the power skills that matter have evolved. Consider interpersonal effectiveness. While the ability to collaborate and get along with colleagues remains important, today's workplace demands more sophisticated interpersonal intelligence. Modern professionals must quickly identify others' needs, accurately read situational cues and rapidly adjust their communication approaches and actions to achieve important outcomes. 6 Essential Characteristics Of Workplace Agility Multiple studies have noted the characteristics that collectively enable workplace agility. To perform successfully today, focusing on these key six will be vital. 1. Resilience: Employees need the ability to maintain composure under pressure and direct their energy toward constructive solutions, rather than becoming paralyzed by uncertainty. Resiliency allows them to absorb setbacks without becoming demoralized and maintain perspective during difficult circumstances. 2. Creative Problem-Solving: As the pace of change accelerates, established solutions often become obsolete quickly. Professionals with strong creative problem-solving capabilities can generate novel ideas and think beyond conventional parameters to develop innovative approaches. 3. Adaptability: Highly adaptable employees effectively adjust plans, goals and priorities in response to dynamic situations. They recognize when circumstances warrant course corrections and implement these adjustments, rather than sticking to an approach that's no longer working. 4. Continuous Learning: One of the most critical power skills today is the ability and willingness to engage in perpetual learning. This encompasses more than taking the time to learn additional skills. Today, employees must create their own insurance policy against obsolescence by proactively identifying emerging skills and taking steps to acquire them. 5. Interpersonal Savvy: Modern professional environments require interpersonal intelligence that goes beyond basic collegiality. Team members should be able to demonstrate keen insight into others' motivations and tailor their approach to effectively influence diverse stakeholders. In matrix organizations where formal authority is limited, interpersonal savvy often determines who can mobilize resources that will enable initiatives' success. 6. Cultural Versatility: As organizations become increasingly global, cultural versatility has emerged as a critical capability. But it's more than the ability to work with people from different backgrounds. Culturally versatile and intelligent employees take conscious, deliberate action to understand other cultures' needs, customs and values. They also recognize how their own cultural conditioning influences their assumptions and actively work to expand their cultural intelligence. In a world where the only certainty is change, agility isn't just an advantage. It's essential for survival and success. By prioritizing the identification and development of workplace agility, forward-thinking companies will be able to evolve with the pace of change. In fact, the organizations that thrive will be able to actively shape any change to their advantage. Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
Forbes
30-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Future-Ready: How Tech And Agility Are Powering Business Resilience
In a world defined by rapid shifts and constant transformation, agility is key to business success. To adapt and grow in an ever-changing landscape, businesses must be future-ready and customer-driven. At the 2025 FedEx Asia Pacific Small Business Grant Contest (SBGC), held alongside the Forbes Asia 100 to Watch Forum, Kawal Preet, President of Asia Pacific at FedEx, emphasized three strategic priorities for small businesses navigating this environment. First, building strategic agility through technology, by harnessing data and digital tools, enables faster, smarter decision-making. Second, adapting to shifting trade patterns is essential, particularly in dynamic markets like Southeast Asia, where staying responsive to new opportunities and regulatory changes is crucial. Third, partnering for growth can help simplify complexity, extend global reach, and allow businesses to stay focused on their core strengths. FedEx remains committed to empowering small businesses that fuel global economies and uplift communities. By providing essential resources, recognition and reach, FedEx supports their journey toward sustainable growth. The four finalists of the 2025 FedEx Asia Pacific Small Business Grant Contest (SBGC) once again underscore that impactful transformation isn't reserved for large enterprises. These pioneering startups are harnessing technology to foster growth and innovation across the region and beyond. 1. India – Digantara: Delivering accurate and real-time orbital insights for safer spacecraft operations Spacetech startup Digantara was founded in 2018 to help commercial and government entities safely operate satellites and manage the increasing traffic in space. It aims to build the biggest catalogue of space situational awareness data. 'We realized that debris is a big problem in space,' said Anirudh Sharma, CEO of Digantara. The company recently launched a space surveillance satellite designed to track and monitor objects as small as 5cm in Earth's orbit. This capability helps mitigate collision risks and promote sustainable space operations by providing accurate and dependable data to satellite operators and regulatory bodies. Today, the company focuses on building solutions for government defense agencies and commercial entities such as insurance companies. 'What we do today is beyond space situational awareness, beyond tracking of space objects,' Sharma said. 'We work on everything pertaining to intelligence and surveillance. For example, missile warning is another big area that we are focusing on right now.' With its series B funding almost underway, Digantara aims to expand its defense capabilities globally. 2. Singapore – Aliena: Building compact propulsion engines to power satellites Aliena builds electric propulsion engines that enable satellites to operate at lower altitudes, delivering high-impact data to industries such as finance, maritime, aviation, agriculture, energy, security and defense. In 2020, Aliena commissioned and built its own jet propulsion test facility in Singapore to scale up the development of its systems. 'Our engines help satellites move, maneuver, find their place in space and maintain their positions in orbit,' said Mark Lim, CEO of Aliena. 'We are one of the few in the world building systems this compact and efficient. We are not just power-efficient but also fuel-efficient—and we are ready to deploy anywhere,' he said, adding that with a robust supply chain in Singapore, Aliena offers both reliable lead times as well as cost competitiveness. The startup claims it has achieved US$6.7 million in equity funding, launched two systems into space and secured customers from the U.K., Spain, Belgium, Singapore, Taiwan and the Middle East. It aims to raise another funding round to expand its product line and grow its market presence in the U.S. and E.U. 3. Singapore – NEU Battery Materials: Recycling lithium batteries profitably and sustainably Established in 2021, NEU Battery Materials recycles production-grade lithium from waste batteries through its patented electrochemical redox-targeting technology. According to the company, this recycling technology essentially uses only water and electricity, is 100 times less polluting and up to 10 times more profitable than other existing methods. 'We specifically recycle a type of battery called lithium iron phosphate, which is commonly found in electric vehicles,' said Bryan Oh, CEO of NEU Battery Materials. This type of battery is typically not recycled due to high costs, but 'we can do it profitably, and most importantly, sustainably,' Oh added. In 2023, the company raised US$3.7 million in seed funding from Singapore government-backed SGInnovate, ComfortDelGro Ventures and Shift4Good, among others. The company's semi-commercial recycling plant in Singapore now recycles about 2,000 electric vehicle batteries annually. The business aims to be profitable in the next few years and plans to build its first commercial facility globally in the next five years. 4. Indonesia – McEasy: Simplifying complex logistics operations through technology Set up in 2017, McEasy is an Internet of Things (IoT) and software-as-a-service (SaaS) enterprise that helps companies monitor their transportation fleets using software and other tools such as AI cameras, GPS and sensors. This B2B business seeks to build a safer, smarter and more efficient logistics ecosystem in Indonesia. McEasy has helped its clients boost fleet utilization by 60%, reduce fuel costs by 10-15% and cut down on reckless driving due to driver fatigue by more than 60%, according to its CEO Raymond Sutjiono. 'The company has serviced more than 2,000 clients spanning over 40,000 active fleets in Indonesia,' Sutjiono said. In June 2024, McEasy raised series A+ funding led by Granite Asia, following an earlier US$6.5 million round led by East Ventures in 2022, bringing its total series A funding to US$11 million. Kawal Preet, President, Asia Pacific, FedEx (middle) with (l-r) Raymond Sutjiono, CEO of McEasy; Bryan Oh, CEO of NEU Battery Materials; Anirudh Sharma, CEO of Digantara and Mark Lim, CEO of Aliena. This year, Digantara emerged as the grand prize winner, receiving a cash award of US$30,000. The three other finalists each received US$13,000. 'This year's winners demonstrate how technology-driven entrepreneurship is delivering real-world solutions—from battery recycling and carbon tracking to satellite propulsion and space safety,' Preet said. 'Their bold ideas are not only addressing today's challenges but also shaping a more connected and resilient future. At FedEx, we are moving in step with this spirit—harnessing data and technology to build a more flexible, efficient and intelligent network that empowers our customers to navigate change, seize new opportunities and grow with confidence in a rapidly evolving world.'
Forbes
29-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
6 Flexibility Skills Every Manager Should Master Today
Flexibility in management: balancing uncertainty through adaptability rather than control. Managers were taught to plan — but in a world defined by constant change, plans change. Managers were taught to define roles and responsibilities — but AI is transforming workflows, challenging us to dismantle roles and redefine responsibilities. They were taught to track indicators, follow guidelines, and enforce decision flows — to meet disruption with control. But managers weren't taught flexibility in management. And now, those old tools of control aren't just ineffective. They're what hold us back. Research by economist Ingrid Haegele found that organizational agility had been blocked not by policy, but by managerial control. Three-quarters of managers engaged in talent hoarding — discouraging top performers from pursuing internal opportunities to protect their own team's performance. The result? When those managers rotated out or their incentives changed, internal applications surged by more than 120%. It's time to unlearn control and embed flexibility into how managers lead — not as a temporary response to disruption, but as the foundation for helping their teams succeed every day, across every dimension. Structural Flexibility: Adaptive Teams Today's speed requires managers to move in ways they aren't used to. Structural flexibility means putting in place the tools, practices, and incentives to break down and reassemble teams so the right people are focused on the right priorities at the right time. It means reallocating resources, rebuilding teams, and reassigning work — because that's how organizations can respond quickly to changing realities. You know you have structural flexibility if you can mobilize a team around an emerging challenge without waiting for a formal reorg — and if you don't let headcount policies stop people from contributing to cross-unit projects where they're needed most. Managerial Flexibility: Empower Decisions Frontline managers are the decisive factor in an organization's ability to do what's right. They need to make real-time decisions, support their teams, and serve as anchors of clarity in uncertainty. Managerial flexibility means equipping and trusting managers with the authority, tools, and confidence to act in the moment — and letting go of the need to wait for direction from above. That's the manager who looks beyond rigid shift structures and creates micro-shifts or flexible schedules to meet workload and people's needs — without waiting for formal approval. Time and Place Flexibility: Anywhere, Anytime Even experienced hybrid organizations often limit flexibility to 'office vs. remote.' But time and place flexibility goes further. It means treating employees like adults, focusing on outcomes over hours and designing systems that support collaboration whether or not everyone's online at once. It's about mastering asynchronous work, coordinating across varying availabilities, and setting priorities in a world where time and place are no longer fixed elements of work. You know you're lacking flexibility when you pass up great talent simply because they don't live where you have an office. And you know you're leading with it when you foster asynchronous norms — shared status boards, video updates, flexible meeting practices — so teams stay aligned without being tethered to the clock. Technology Flexibility: Tools That Enable The right tools free people to focus on what only they can do. Technology shouldn't be viewed as a productivity engine or a substitute for people — it should reduce friction and help teams focus on what matters most. Flexibility here means giving people back what's most needed today: time and attention for the work that only they can do. The best examples of technology flexibility are often already inside an organization. Your informal AI champions — those who naturally explore what's new — can teach others how they're using tools to reduce friction, free up time, and focus on meaningful work. Personalized Flexibility: Lead the Person Personalized flexibility is about how managers adapt to the individual. It's the recognition that no two people have the same needs, and that managing well means seeing the person behind the job title. This dimension is about adjusting leadership to fit each employee's circumstances, strengths, and challenges — not managing for ease, but managing for impact. It's the manager who doesn't hide behind policy, but tailors work to the individual — shaping development paths, adjusting workloads when life demands it, enabling people to work where they're best supported, and managing in ways that sustain performance and well-being. Individual Flexibility: Build Autonomy At the foundation of flexibility is the understanding that whenever work and life are in conflict, life will always win. That's why the real task of managers is to prevent the conflict from starting at all. Individual flexibility lets people decide how, when, and where to integrate work and life without burning out. It's about recognizing that employees are managing their own career paths — and giving them the space to do so. That's what builds personal resilience, the core of any organizational resilience. It's the employee whose company provides a learning budget without dictating how to use it. Or the one trusted to work differently during a personal challenge because life, not work, comes first. When employees are supported in managing life, they give everything they can — now and in the future. Flexibility here means building trust, not layering on oversight. Managers who embed flexibility into how they lead aren't lowering the bar. They're raising it. Because in the future of work, success won't come from holding on tighter. It will come from helping teams stretch without breaking.
